Freak Show
by Liana Slane
Summary: Darcy convinces Jane to take a break in order to see a travelling freak show that has stopped in town. It turns into an interesting evening when Jane meets a mysterious performer with blue skin and red eyes. Lokane AU One-Shot.


"Lighten up, Jane! It'll be fun, I promise. Just try to have a good time."

"Okay, okay! You win," she replied to her intern, throwing her arms up in defeat.

Jane exchanged her ticket for a stamp on the back of her hand. The two girls walked side by side into the small, but extravagantly decorated, circus grounds. The travelling show was in town for the weekend, and Darcy had been determined to pull Jane away from work in order to attend.

"So how is this different than a circus or a local fair?" the astrophysicist asked as she flipped through an attraction guide from the front gate.

"I told you earlier, it's not just any circus, it's a freak show! How cool is that?" Darcy said with a huge smile.

"Sounds like exploitation to me."

"Just give it a chance."

"Hm. Where first then, since you're the expert?"

"We could see the tattooed man or the bearded lady!"

"Tattoos aren't so strange these days."

"True, but I'm guessing it's head to toe…or maybe something else extreme. Let's go see!" Darcy said eagerly, pulling her along.

Night was slowly creeping up, casting deep hues over the tents surrounding them. Jane's mind could not help but conjure nightmarish images in response to the idea of being in the dark at a freak show. The fact that the place was nearly deserted only made it worse.

"Where is everyone?" she whispered to her friend.

"It's Sunday evening. I guess they all went to the earlier nights," Darcy said, shrugging. "Oh we're here!"

Jane followed her into the tent, ready to see what strange sights were visiting their small town.

* * *

"Seeing a man tattooed like a snake was not exactly my idea of a night out," she teased as they left the first attraction.

"Yeah but did you notice all the piercings he had on top of that? Pretty impressive, dude."

"You would think so, hah," Jane smirked, looking down at her watch. It was already past eight, and she was itching to get back home.

They were on their way to buy some cotton candy when Darcy stopped in her tracks, staring at something off to the left. Jane nearly ran into her.

"What's the holdup?"

"We have to do this, Jane. Please?"

"I don't like the sound of that," she said, peering around her friend. The sign tacked to the tent read _Fortune Readings $20_. "As long as you don't expect me to believe it, then I'm game, but I'm so not buying."

"Deal!"

As Jane stepped into the makeshift room, the air immediately felt stale. It smelled reminiscent of her grandma's house but with a touch of cinnamon in the air. A greying old woman sat at a table, shuffling through a stack of oversized cards. Her beady eyes glanced up and seemed to sparkle mischievously.

"Welcome to Madam Murrande's Fortunes—where dreams become reality and futures unknown are a thing of the past," the woman said in a raspy voice. "Have a seat, ladies."

Jane sat down in front of the table and crossed her arms. She could not help but see divination for what it was—a ruse for money that was not grounded in science. But the least she could do was humor her friend.

She zoned out while Darcy was getting her fortune told. Jane kept trying to go over her Einstein-Rosen Bridge calculations again in her head. Something was still not right with them, and she was determined to figure it out. Unfortunately her thoughts were interrupted.

"Your turn," Darcy said, elbowing her.

Jane flashed a nervous smile. She had lost track of time while daydreaming.

"Yeah, sure. Let's see what's in store for me!"

Madam Murrande started flipping cards over, studying them carefully. She spoke of Jane's career and how there was big discoveries to come. The idea piqued Jane's interest, but she knew it was coincidence. The rest of the cards were rather run of the mill too, until the last one. The final turn revealed a gnarled face staring at her. The description read _Death_.

"Oh," said the fortune teller. "The Death card. It doesn't usually mean physical death, so don't be frightened child, but I must warn you—if you stay here a part of your old life is going to die. It is the end of an era. A door closing. You are never going to see things the same way again."

"If I stay here? This town? What do you mean?" Jane asked, unable to mask her curiosity despite her initial disbelief.

"I can't say more than what the cards have told. Just please, choose with caution."

The woman grabbed the money they had left for her and headed out a back exit, claiming a need to rest.

"Well that was weird," Jane said with an awkward laugh. "I don't know about you, but I'm ready to leave this place."

"We can't! The main attraction is about to go on! We have to see him," Darcy pleaded.

"Who is it?"

"It says in this thing that he is an out of this world magician," the girl said, pointing at the last page of the booklet.

"That's all? That doesn't seem very freak show-ish to me, but I guess it wouldn't hurt to check it out."

She followed Darcy, trying to push aside the strange feeling in her gut. The two of them filed into a big top tent, settling into seats in the second row. There were at least a dozen other people in the stands.

A few minutes later, the lights dimmed and then extinguished. A spotlight sprang to life, illuminating a circle in the center of the ring. Her breathe caught as a lithe figure stepped into it. His skin was the most beautiful shade of blue she had ever seen. Fiery red eyes caught hers, and she was unable to look away.

His magic was unlike anything she had ever seen. She marveled at the ease in which he conducted himself. He was able to disappear, create doubles of himself, turn objects into ice and even shift into animals. She knew it all had to be fancy tricks, but she still amazed.

"We have to meet him, Jane!" her friend said after the show had come to a close.

"Sure, let's give it a try," she agreed rather quickly. Normally she and Darcy did not see eye to eye, but there was something about the man in blue that captivated her. She owed it to herself to explore it further.

Poking around the back of the tent a few minutes later revealed several performer trailers all lined up. Peering down at her program again, she found the line she needed.

"Main Stage Magic Act staring Loki," she murmured.

"This is it then," Darcy replied, pointing at one of the trailers. The star's name was painted on the side.

Jane straightened her shirt and plastered on a nervous smile. She walked up and gave a light knock on the door. They were about to leave when it finally swung open. Loki stood there, shirtless and wearing a pair of fitted black trousers. He looked down at them with a mixture of intrigue and annoyance. Finally the stranger spoke.

"Come in," he commanded, stepping back to make room.

"Oh, thank you. Your show was incredible! We were hoping to get a chance to meet you, if you don't mind," Jane said. She smiled wider and took a step inside the trailer, Darcy still behind her.

The man stared at her with thinly veiled passion, but said nothing.

"Where are my manners? I'm Jane and this is—" she started but was cut off by a wave of his hand. The door slammed in Darcy's face, leaving Jane alone with the enigmatic performer.

"This is between you and me," he said.

Darcy pounded on the door. Her muffled cries sounded increasingly agitated. With another flick of his wrist, the whining ceased.

"What did you do to my friend?"

"Nothing, just a silencing spell."

"So you'd have me believe your magic is real?" she asked incredulously.

"How else would you explain it?"

Jane did not have an answer. She had felt the need to meet the mysterious man, but she had no idea how to accept everything that was happening. Yet there was a spark between them, and she could not deny the desire to let it play out.

"There's something about you, Jane. Something I can't quite place. I was watching you during the show."

She blushed at his direct compliments. Unsure how to respond, she merely shrugged.

"Why has your complexion changed?" She asked instead, glancing over his pale skin tone. "I thought the cerulean was breathtakingly beautiful."

"I only show that part of myself when necessary," he said, eyeing her intensely.

"What are you?" she asked, not unkindly. Curiosity laced her tone. He inched closer.

"A monster," he replied with a sudden intensity, grabbing her by her arms. "One who takes what he wants."

Seemingly unable to delay the chemistry further, he hoisted her up onto a nearby table. Spreading her legs with his knee, he stood before her, his body pressed between her thighs.

Grabbing her hair, he pulled her in for a kiss. Before their lips met, a single word slipped out, barely above a whisper.

"Mine," he growled.

Their mouths crashed together, and his tongue explored hers freely. His hands roamed over her legs and up her hips. He held onto her waist with an iron grip, as though he would lose her if he let go. Jane's arms snaked around his shoulders, letting one hand intertwine with his long, black hair. When she finally pulled back for air her whole body felt like it was on fire. Her lips tingled, and her body ached for his touch. As he stared at her, his eyes boring into her soul, she knew that everything had changed. Magic existed. The man in front of her was real. Nothing would ever be the same.

* * *

_A/N: I'm in the middle of finishing a new chapter for All He Has Left, but I got inspired to write this out. It is a one-shot based on a prompt I wrote months ago. I feel a much longer story could have done it more justice, but I was only inspired to write this short bit. I hope you all enjoy it, even though it's a bit rushed. I will keep posting on my multi-chapter fics as soon as I can. Thanks so much to all my readers and supporters! You guys are amazing._


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